Out of Paihia and back down to Auckland today. Everything was pretty much packed in the very strange looking shapes the rucksacks have got in and Ellie let me sleep in! (She was just too scared to poke me or tug on my blanket in case I growled from under my cocoon). I like to get the fluffy blanket on me and tuck it up under the toes and then the fluffy duvet over the top of me again. It’s heaven, I’m so cosy under it all! No wonder over been sleeping well, E...

Almost got a lie in this morning, Ellie almost tugged me out of bed by pulling on my blanket (haha, only joking) only because she was too scared to poke me to wake me up from my cocoon. I swear I’m not that bad! I just sleep deeply and it takes me a while to find my voice so it’s easier to grunt for a little while. That’s normal isn’t it? I had to get up at 8.30 latest because we needed to make our packed lunch for the island trip today. We got ready ...

Finally a bit of sunshine this morning even though it was still damn cold! We were like shrek and donkey this morning (Ellie being lively donkey and myself shrek). I cannot bring myself to be hyper and upbeat in the mornings I’m useless. We got on a bus tour up to Cape Reinga and back for today organised by another tour company, we even got a free fish and chips lunch card for the day. Only to find walking down the aisle of the bus that we were in fact on the...

Neither of us slept last night until at least midnight, we were shattered this morning. I could barely open one eye at 9am. Our healthy breakfast from the supermarket shop yesterday and very slowly got ready with one eye open to go up to the treaty grounds on the free bikes from the hostel. We managed to dodge the rain on the bike across the sea front, it was actually a little warmer today thankfully. Ellie just about managed to keep her balance on the bike, w...

5.15am wake up call this morning, we did not want to get out of these super beds. As soon as you pull back that big fluffy duvet the cold hits you, exactly like being at home winter time. Ash was going to work at 6am so he dropped us off in the city on the way which was handy! We were a little early for the bus pick up so we went to McDonald’s for a warmth and a cup of coffee! I was bloody freezing, more so than Ellie. I haven’t climatized to this climate y...